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West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by gwr4090, Nov 15, 2007.

  1. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Well it clearly works there! Anyway, happily it sounds like I don't need to bang this drum any more, people in positions actually able to do something about it are instead. :)

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  2. granmaree

    granmaree Member

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    Was not that the way it worked previously? Volunteers sign here then cough up your membership fee? Bad move, as said before on top of all the other costs for that to be mandatory will not be very encouraging to new recruits
     
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  3. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    I think Steve has said before it's never been the case? Given the WSR's volunteer retention rates a few years ago posted here, it would seem membership cost would be the least of the problems with attracting volunteers.

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  4. Paul Whitehouse

    Paul Whitehouse New Member

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    Not quite right: all volunteers spend their own money, not just some. When I arrived on the WSR it did not occur to me that you could work on it without becoming a member of the supporters association. That had been my experience on the three other railways where I worked. I know others who work on the railway who had that expectation. The principle is that you draw people into membership before they necessarily want to become volunteers. That is why we have introduced a working volunteer membership subscription.

    We have to be more imaginative in the way we go about things. Our vision for the railway is that the public should not notice the difference between the Plc and the Association. Most do not understand the distinction in any case, and we hope that in time the experience will be seamless between the two.

    Paul
     
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  5. Yorkshireman

    Yorkshireman Part of the furniture

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    No moaners please!
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    As I recall it was once de facto compulsory but this lapsed at some time. I suspect Robin or Faol will remember.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2017
  6. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Indeed, until I started reading this thread it seemed inconceivable to me that you could volunteer at a railway without first being a member of the supporters' organisation. Clearly it is possible, though it raises the question of why would you want to? To my eyes at least, if you are prepared to identify with the ideals of an organisation sufficiently to wish to devote time to it, but not join the supporters' organisation, it says something quite profound about the organisation

    In my head, there is a continuum of engagement with an organisation like a heritage railway. Most people's first contact will be as a visitor. If they like what they see, hopefully you can entice them to join the supporters' organisation. If they really like what they see there, hopefully they can be persuaded to volunteer, or donate, or both. Clearly some people jump straight from being a visitor to being a volunteer, but it feels like missing out on a whole tier of engagement.

    Tom
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2017
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  7. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

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    Membership of the WSRA has never been compulsory for WSR volunteering.

    But,of course, I wouldn’t conceive of NOT being a member.

    Robin
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2017
  8. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    I would suggest that any requirement volunteers for to join the WSRA should only apply to new ones.
     
  9. Paul Whitehouse

    Paul Whitehouse New Member

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    You are quite right. That is what we hope to achieve.

    Paul


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  10. Bean-counter

    Bean-counter Part of the furniture

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    I would suggest that the operating company may wish to look as some form of assistance with uniform and that it is providing necessary PPE rather than viewing asking people to make the commitment of joining a membership body as an 'unnecessary cost'.

    Of course, it is easier to justify when the membership body actually owns (or leases) the railway, but I would suggest that having working members not voting members of the owning company is bad for motivation and ensuring that Management take account of their views and experience.

    Steven
     
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  11. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    There is more than one way of supporting the WSR, especially if you live at a distance or are unable to give free labour. The WSR PLC has a retail outlet, which can be accessed on-line. All profits go directly to them. The tricky part can be selecting the real PLC web site as search finds it mingled with three WSRA web sites.
    http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/souvenir-shop
     
  12. Yorkshireman

    Yorkshireman Part of the furniture

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    Neither could I but making it mandatory for new volunteers would make it devisive. There are far more important matters to sort out than this!
     
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  13. Paul Kibbey

    Paul Kibbey Well-Known Member

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    Well, that's my Father Christmas list sorted .
     
  14. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

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    A well-earned meal...

    It’s not many evenings that you get to work NINE GWR signalboxes in five hours in an evening (even if eight of those are four boxes twice each). I have been ‘travelling signalman’ for a Murder Mystery Quantock Belle. So I have worked Bishops Lydeard, Crowcombe Heathfield, Williton, Blue Anchor, Minehead, Blue Anchor, Williton, Crowcombe Heathfield and Bishops Lydeard. And driven over 60 miles. Phew! Roast turkey and a point detection failure leading to the breaking of a sealed release at 21:30, Cmas pud at 00:30 and Home. Thanks are due to Dee for the food and to Sven for coping with my driving. Have you met Sven? He is Sweeeedish....

    Up again at 08:00 tomorrow, but not safety critical...

    88B9B508-47C5-4D95-9E82-8C745B5A9DD8.jpeg 1C4F2791-42C7-4513-8659-7ACE650E2587.jpeg 980EF715-B533-408F-99F0-2D8034CC922F.jpeg FE93AE1F-8D61-4056-95E2-67319FB3A210.jpeg 319C3D34-2B7A-46F7-A63C-13D18AFCBB25.jpeg 0093CA85-9C79-48A5-91D4-DDA2897F8180.jpeg 911D7364-11B8-4446-8B84-7342970846E8.jpeg AF673AF9-3A46-48A7-A474-00EC36657B9B.jpeg 0A13CFA4-2058-4197-84BC-B5BFBDF973F9.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2017
  15. Robin Moira White

    Robin Moira White Resident of Nat Pres

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    West Somerset Railway - Then and Now #152

    Minehead Station: Edwardian / 2017

    I wonder how many of these conveyances survive, and quite what they were waiting for!

    Edwardian
    1669E2AE-3945-4F40-A7A7-0881D6172290.jpeg

    2017
    88F4F829-5C7D-41F9-97F8-1DB4A9259AD4.jpeg
     
  16. Snifter

    Snifter Well-Known Member

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    The loco crew are almost thawed out after running backwards in driving rain / sleet.
     
  17. Yorkshireman

    Yorkshireman Part of the furniture

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    Luxury!
     
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  18. Paul Kibbey

    Paul Kibbey Well-Known Member

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    We need more Prairies !!!
     
  19. threelinkdave

    threelinkdave Well-Known Member

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    Or even BR standards

    gets coat
     
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  20. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Pity that turning triangle is too far south service trains ....
     

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